Stiles Choice
by oreo3469
Summary: Stiles has been in love with his best friends girlfriend since before they were dating! And what's worst is his best friend is pulling away from him! He wants to get away from Beacon Hills so he joins Derek on a journey to Arizona to recruit new pack members. Will Stiles still pine over Lydia Martin or will a certain sour wolf catch his eye?
1. Wanting Her

**I really hope everyone likes this! This is my first fan fiction ever so let me know in any way if I can improve. BTW this is a Stiles love triangle!**

It was torture watching him touch her, watching him hug and kiss her. Well, I was going crazy just seeing them in the same room. Whenever I saw them together, it reminded of that song from the 80's, Jessie's Girl. I really wish I wasn't in love with my best friend's girlfriend but the truth was I had loved her way before they were even dating. And it's not that my best friend is a jerk. I had never told him I liked her so he didn't know that she was off limits and there was no point in telling him afterwards because that would just make him feel bad about himself.

So I just wallowed in my own self stupidity. I had so many opportunities to ask her out but I always found some excuse to chicken out instead. Now I spent my single days following the couple around like a lost puppy dog. If only this puppy dog could find new owners.

"Stiles, are you going with us to the movies tonight? Lydia wants to watch that new romance movie and she said she has someone she could set you up with." Scott whispered as we walked the halls of our quiet high school. Beacon Hills was a moderate sized town but we had decided to stay after since Scott was failing three subjects.

Since he was bitten and magically transformed into a creature of the night, he had been slacking on his school work. And not just his school work. I couldn't remember the last time we hung out, just the two of us. He was either off with his other best friend Derek or making out with Lydia in a dark corner.

"Stiles?" Lydia nudged my shoulder and looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes as I zoned out again. I blinked twice and tried to regain normal breathing. I was really surprised no one had caught on to my feelings for Lydia. I thought they were kind of obvious. "Stiles, are you going to come with us to the movies?"

"No, you guys go ahead. I haven't seen my dad in a while and this is his first night off in weeks so I think I'm just going to stay home and hang with him, if that's okay?"

"Of course, it's okay. I totally get it. Since my parents divorced, I barely see my dad so I grab every single moment I can to spend with him but it still isn't many" she sighed. I saw the depression in her eyes but she quickly covered it up with her usual perkiness. I smiled at the ground then remembered to cover that up but I'm pretty sure Scott saw it because he looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

After a moment of silence, I responded. "Well, I'm going to head out. I was going to pick up Chinese for my pops since it's his favorite but it's all the way on the other side of town so I better leave now if I want to beat him home." I knew I over explained that too much but I tried to avert my jumble of words to my awkward exit. I grabbed my backpack by the handle at the top. I mean who holds a backpack like that? Then, I half ran, half skipped down the hall, trying to get away as soon as possible. I didn't stop until I got to my blue Jeep.

I swung my backpack in the back window and hopped into the driver's seat. I mentally slapped myself for every single thing I did wrong as I started the car up. Before I could pull out, my phone vibrated.

**Scott – Are you okay? You were acting kind of weird. Well, weirder than usual.**

**Stiles – Yea, I'm fine! Just a little tired and anxious about our test coming up!**

**Scott – Ok, Lydia was worried about you so I wanted to make sure everything was fine.**

**Stiles – Yep! I'm as cool as a cucumber!**

My heart started fluttering. Lydia was worried _about_ me. Lydia was worried about _me._ I drove out of that parking lot with a smile on my face.

**An hour later**

It took longer than I had expected to get the Chinese and get home. My dad was already in his pajamas watching basketball in the living room when I walked through the front door. "What took you so long?"

"I forgot everyone was going home at this time of the day. The Chinese place is towards the middle of downtown so it took forever to get out of the traffic." I spent 45 minutes of the past hour singing chart toppers and playing Solitaire on my IPhone. Saying I was annoyed would be an understatement. "I got your favorite; beef and broccoli." I took the separate containers out of the large brown bag and arranged them nicely in front of my dad on the coffee table.

I went to the kitchen to grab forks and glasses. I opened the pantry door to find the glasses but there were none left. I went to the sink but it was empty. I checked the dishwasher and there were some in there but they were dirty. "Looking for these?" I whipped around to the direction of the hallway behind me. Derek stood holding a clean glass in each hand. I furrowed my brows then snatched them from him. I automatically took them to the sink and rinsed them again since Derek had touched them.

Derek had been a pain in my side since we met him and he started helping Scott with his werewolf problems. "What do you want Derek?"

"I'm bored! Scott's off on a date and Peter's out doing whatever Peter does. So, that leaves you!"  
"Don't you have other werewolf friends to hang out with?"

"Actually I don't so you're the lucky winner" he said the last part with so much desperation in his voice that I almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.

"Well, I can't tonight. I'm hanging with my dad for the first time in weeks. So, go spend some time alone at your own house. Maybe try a new hobby like basket weaving or puppet shows. Anything that takes you far away from here" I turned around to pour Coke into the cups and when I turned back around, he was gone.


	2. Heart Attack

The night before, I had spent watching basketball and eating Chinese with my father as he shouted out things like; "They play better than that in their sleep" and "This game is so boring, I wish I could take a hammer to my skull!" My father wasn't a very happy person by nature but last night his unhappiness had hit an extreme.

Today was Saturday so he had already left for work. I took my time getting up, slowly moving to the bathroom to alleviate myself and brush my teeth. I wasn't really a health freak but my breath had a tendency of smelling like dead animals so I always brushed them for precautionary reasons. Then I marched downstairs and heated up some Chinese leftovers.

"I thought you had Chinese last night?"

"Derek! You need to stop coming and going whenever you like!" I didn't understand why Derek found so much pleasure in making me mad. I turned around but didn't see Derek. "Hello?" I heard a scuttling to my right and turned slowly in case it attacked. My breathing hitched and gulped incessantly. "Derek, is that you?" My heart beat quickened and my limbs started going numb.

I slowly backed away and reached for the metal bat I kept hidden under the sink. I grabbed it swiftly and went straight into a fighting stance which consisted of me standing with my left foot forward and the bat in my hand settled on my shoulder. I inhaled than ran full speed towards the dining room. I had hit the fancy vase my grandma had bought us for Valentine's Day and it smashed to the ground.

"Dude, calm down!" It was only Scott.

"Could you have told me it was you before I went ninja crazy on my dining room? How am I going to explain this to my dad?" I bent down to sweep the pieces of broken glass together. I got up and grabbed the dustpan attached to the broom that was kept in the pantry. I swept up the broken glass and threw it into the trash. He half smiled, trying not to burst into laughter. I began to smile too and soon we both were holding our stomachs in pain.

Once we regained our composure I spoke, "So, why did you come in all creepy like?" He chuckled and stood up from his seat at the table.

"Well, I realized that I've been kind of ignoring you and I wanted to make it up to you. So, I rented the entire Star Wars Saga and I thought we could have a movie day since you've wanted me to watch these since we were eight. I finally give in!" He threw his hands in the air for emphasizm.

"Works for me! You get it playing and I'll pop the popcorn and get the sodas." Soon we were nestled into our positions for the movie, chomping on popcorn and slurping our sodas loudly. As the storyline began rolling to the top of the screen, Scott jerked upward. He was now sitting completely straight, straining to hear something only his ears could hear. "Oh, Lydia's here!" He jumped up to grab the door even though no one had knocked yet. My head flew back in mock disapproval. I hadn't even had ten minutes alone with the guy before his girl came knocking at the door, literally.

He opened the door and walked outside. I lazily got up and dragged my feet to the door to see what was taking so long. That was a mistake. I reached the doorway and saw Scott making out with Lydia against _my_ car. I was fuming and the only thing I could think of was slamming the door.

I sat at the table rubbing my temple waiting for the knock at the door but it never came. I waited ten minutes then checked the door. They were gone. Not even a note or a text. I needed time away from everyone especially Scott. He had decided to give me a lot of space so I was going to return the favor.

I was hurt though. I mean, hadn't his whole reason for coming over been to spend time with me alone? Or had he implied something else? I grabbed my phone checking for messages but there was only one from Derek.

**Derek – Stiles, I haven't been able to contact Scott. I'm going out of town for a few days to visit a nearby pack in Arizona. Tell Scott I'll be back in a week.**

A week seemed like a perfect amount of time to be away from Beacon Hills. I had straight A's in all of my classes so I could just do my work on the go. A little detox from Scott and Lydia was exactly what I needed.

**Stiles – Would you like the company?**

Almost an hour passed before I got a response.

**Derek – Come over, we'll discuss it.**

I sighed and grabbed my keys. Derek was lonely and I was lonely. I was about to embark on a mission with my enemy. What the hell was I thinking? I walked to the front door and locked it, planning to get ready for bed. I got halfway up the stairs before I turned back around and ran out the door. Who was I kidding? If I didn't have Derek, I didn't have anybody.

**At Derek's **

I slid open Derek's large door and crept inside. "Derek?"

"I'm back here!" The voice came from upstairs. I had never been to the upstairs part of his place. Most of the time I didn't even notice it but it seemed strange that he would so willingly let me invade his actual abode. I walked up each step slowly just in case he changed his mind and yelled at me to get back downstairs. But he didn't and I eventually reached the top.

There were only two rooms angled off the stairwell. I went to the room that was lit up. I'm guessing the other room belonged to Peter. I approached cautiously and knocked lightly on the doorframe. He turned around and grunted. "Hurry up! I don't have time to hang around!" Now, that was the sour wolf I knew and didn't love. "Now, why do you want to leave Beacon Hills for a week?"

I was about to divulge my biggest secret to the person I trusted the least, well maybe second least. I definitely trusted Peter least since he actually tried to kill me the first time we met. "I'm just going to spill so don't interrupt. Got it?" He rolled his eyes and continued putting clothes into a duffel bag. "Since Lydia and Scott started dating, he's been obsessed with her and more and more, ignoring me" I tried to sound like I was about to cry but it was no use. Derek was an alpha. He could hear the hint of a lie a mile away.

"That's part true. What's the rest?" I blew out air as I puffed out my cheeks. I could feel my heart racing and Derek just reassured my obvious impending heart attack when he dropped what he was doing and turned towards me, eyebrows in concentration. "What's the rest?"

I gulped and looked at the floor. "I'm in love with Lydia, okay!" I brought my gaze up to meet his confused eyes. "I always have been, always will be" I slumped, amazed at how great it felt to finally tell someone, even if that someone was Derek Hale. There were a few moments of silence as Derek stood deliberating. "Well, are you going to say something?" I was getting impatient.

"Wow, didn't see that one coming!" He turned back around, continuing to go through possible clothing choices. "I'm leaving at 9 tomorrow morning. Be here at 8:30!"


	3. Arizona

**Sorry that this chapter kind of moves slowly but it will pick up in the following chapters! And thanks so much to the people who favorited and followed!**

I woke up at 5 in the morning. Just my luck! I grabbed my half packed bag and went to the bathroom. I threw in a deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, brush, and my retainer case. I've had my retainer about a year now and I still questioned its importance but my father threatened me if I didn't wear it so I obliged. I yawned and shuffled to my closet, picking out which shoes to bring.

Since we were going to Arizona and Arizona was mostly a desert, I went with my brown work boots and my favorite high top Converse. Last night, I grabbed every single pair of jeans I owned, which was only four and threw them in my father's police duffel bag. Now, I shuffled around in my t-shirts trying to find something comfortable. I opted for four short sleeved V-necks, two long sleeved thermals and two plaid button ups. Arizona's weather was said to change in a heartbeat so I planned for both extremes plus we might go out at night in the cold.

I looked at the clock and noticed only 45 minutes had passed. I jumped in the shower and took my time just standing in the warmth of the cascading water down my back. When I began pruning I turned off the water and grabbed the towel hanging on the towel rack. I dried myself and pulled on a pair of khakis and grey V-neck with my favorite red hoodie. Now it was 6:15 and I mentally prepared a checklist of things I could do in the time before heading over to Derek's.

My dad would be awake in less than an hour and be heading off to work so I had to do something quiet for the time being. I pulled out some school work I would be missing but soon gave up realizing I couldn't think this early in the morning. I tried tidying up my room; throwing stray pieces of clothing into their respective drawers, placing books back onto the shelf and throwing away useless papers on my desk. It was getting close to 7 and I heard my father moving around in the room across the hall.

I knocked on his door and waited for the grumpy response. "What" he mumbled as he pulled the door open. I just smiled back at him. Sure, he wasn't much but he was still my father and the only parent I had left. He opened his eyes wide waiting for a response.

"Oh, right! I just wanted to let you know that I'm going on a trip this week so don't worry about me and I'll see you when I get back" I turned around and walked into my room. Before I could shut the door he walked in behind me.

"What do you mean you're going on a trip this week?"

"I'm visiting Arizona for a research project. I promise to call you every night and tell you all about it when I get back!" I really hoped he would be fine with that explanation and of course he was. Even though I got in trouble a lot and lied to him _a lot_ my dad seemed to think I was trustworthy. He blinked lazily and shook his head as he groggily walked back to his room.

I went downstairs and looked in the pantry for some travel foods but couldn't find any. The only thing we bought was microwavable or cooked on the stove. I would just ask Derek to stop before we left.

I sat in the living room channel surfing until it was time to go. I even left early since I didn't have anything to do. So at 7:50 I headed over, I threw my bag and neck pillow in my trunk and slowly got in. I looked at my house and sped off towards Derek's.

I arrived 15 minutes later and sat outside his door not wanting to make him grumpy before the trip even began. I played Flappy Birds for a while and I tried to swear quietly under my breath. I hadn't even noticed two huge feet standing beside me. As the bird hit the pipe, I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up slowly. "Oh hey there Derek!" I quickly got to my feet and tried to stand as straight as possible but I don't know why, probably because Derek was half a foot taller than me and seemed really intimidating.

"Is there a reason you're sitting out here instead of coming inside?" He walked back inside before hearing my answer. I trailed after him trying to explain but not finding the right words.

"I, uh, didn't want to disturb you. So, I, uh, thought I would, uh, wait until 8:30!" It all came out in a jumble and I wasn't sure if I had actually said it or not. Derek grabbed a bag off the table and motioned for me to follow him outside.

"You should've just knocked. I was waiting for you to come so we could leave. We could've left a while ago! The only reason I knew you were here was because you started swearing about a digital duck" he wiped his sleepy eyes and trudged the last steps down to his car. I ran to my car and grabbed my bag and pillow and hurriedly walked over to Derek as he awaited my stuff to be put in. "You can get in. I'll be back down in a minute" he was gone in a second. I sighed. What did I get myself into? Well, whatever it was I couldn't turn back now.

I climbed into Derek's black Camaro and tried to get comfortable. There was so little room that I had to sit sideways in the seat and lay my head on the middle armrest to be sort of comfy. I waited a while noticing Derek had been gone longer than a few minutes. I was about to get out of the car to check on him when he slowly walked down the stairs, hanging his head in defeat. I rushed out of the car as he collapsed in front of me.

There was a bruise forming around his left eye and his shirt was cut in three places revealing three long gashes in his side. His jeans were scuffed and his fists were turning purple.

"Derek, what happened?" I leaned down next to him as he his breathing slowed. "Derek!" I didn't know what to do! I pulled out my phone preparing to call Scott but Derek reached out and grabbed my arm before I could finish dialing. "What's wrong Derek?"

"Just get me to the car!" I shook my head sideways. He was in no condition to be driving. "I said, get me to the car!" He barked his order and I hastily dragged him to his feet. I grabbed his waist and hoisted him up until he was haphazardly splayed across my back. It took a few minutes to get him to the car with no help and a break or two. I dropped him in a heap as I opened the back seat. I got in and pulled him in by his wrists. He growled but I didn't stop. If he wanted to get in the car so badly this is how it was going to happen.

I hopped into the front seat and pulled out of the parking garage. I drove for about ten minutes before I stopped at a gas station. I turned around and saw that Derek was unconscious. I started getting out of the car but Derek's whimpering made me sit back down. "Are you going to tell me what happened to you now?" I tried to be patient but it was no use. All my energy had been spent.

"I'll tell you but we need to keep moving!" I heard the urgency in his voice and saw the fear in his eyes. Now, I felt bad for the sour wolf. Because even though he was a powerful alpha doesn't mean he could withstand all the dangers that were coming his way.

I breathed and nodded apologetically. "I'm going to grab some snacks and fill up the tank. Then, we'll be on our way" he nodded and I ran inside. I grabbed chips, chocolate, beef jerky and soda. Then I filled up the tank and we were on our way again to Arizona.


	4. Getting Away

I don't know how long I had been driving; a couple hours at least. Derek had fallen asleep before I had even got back in the car. I plugged in my headphones to drown out his loud snoring and was currently rocking out to a Van Halen song when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I grabbed my phone and paused the music before unplugging my ears.

I looked into the mirror to see a squinting Derek staring back at me. "Do you have any water?" I quickly pulled over and leaned over into the passenger seat to grab the bag of snacks I had bought. I handed him the water and turned around in my seat to look at him. It was the first time I had looked back at him and I noticed all of his injuries had disappeared. Now all that remained was sweat mixed with dirt and an embarrassed look on his face.

"So, are you going to tell me now what happened?" I had fantasized every possible scenario but nothing seemed plausible to me. Then again, nothing was impossible nowadays.

"It was Peter. He thought I was an intruder and beat me up" he averted his eyes from my deepening stare. I guess werewolves weren't the only ones who could tell when someone was lying.

"They why did you run out terrified? Like you had to get out of there before whatever came after you, came after you again?" He gulped and he finally met my gaze.

"You're too smart for your own good okay? Fine, it was the Alpha pack!"

"Alpha pack?" That did not sound good!

"Yea they left me a warning saying they were coming. There were two of them; a bald, muscular man and a tall, vicious woman. They were both Alphas. It's a whole pack of Alphas. That's why we're going on this trip. I need Beta's to help me fight!"

"But how does that work? Wouldn't all of them just constantly be fighting for the power?"

"No, there's a leader. His name's Deucalion. He's blind but don't let that fool you. He turns into the scariest werewolf there is." I shuddered. If I was scared at some of the things that Derek and Scott could do, how would I react if the Alpha of all Alphas were to appear? I think I might pee my pants. "I'll tell you more but we do really need to get on our way. I'll take a turn driving."

I got out and walked around the car to the passenger side. I threw all the food to the back and hopped in. Derek sped off; ignoring the car we cut off and almost pushed off the road. He meant business and he was scared. I had never seen Derek scared, at least not like this.

Derek explained as much as he knew which wasn't much; just that they were willing to kill their own packs for power, they wanted him in their pack and they were terrifying. I had dozed off somewhere in the middle of his story because before I knew it we had arrived in Arizona. The sun was just above the horizon, ready to set as we pulled off the highway.

"Where are we?" I looked around and there was something different on either side of the highway. On the side we were on there was a gas station and small McDonalds. Farther down the road there was a small settlement with a neighborhood of houses. How strange that people would live together this far from a town. The forest surrounded the whole community and Derek drove us towards it. We took the first left which took us down a long line of familiar looking houses. At the end of the road we turned right which took us to a small playground with a big field and a dirty pond. Instead of stopping, Derek drove right past it and up a steep hill. The houses at the top were by far the most lavish. They were at least three stories high and contained a large amount of windows. He turned left and we finally stopped in front of a break in the houses.

"This is where the werewolves are, in a forest behind a development off a highway?" My eyebrows had to squint in the bright sun and I ducked back into the car to grab my sunglasses off of the dashboard. I followed Derek to the fence that separated the vacant property from the national forest and watched him as he jumped over with ease. I stumbled over awkwardly as my foot got caught in the barb wiring. "Whose pack is this anyways?"

"Mine" he began walking through the trees managing to fling every tree branch back at my face. I groaned and he turned around angrily. "I know you're a human but do you think you could keep up a little better?"

"I think you should be a little bit nicer since I did save your life this morning! And what do you mean this is your pack? You just became Alpha!" He rolled his eyes and continued to trudge up the mountainous terrain. I gasped for air wishing I had thought to bring my inhaler with me.

After what felt like hours, Derek stopped. I looked around, still not seeing anything that showed signs of inhabitants. "Where are they?"

"Everywhere! They will be here any minute" He sat down against a tree and pulled out his phone. I couldn't believe how chill he was being, especially at a time like this. I was too nervous to sit. I paced back and forth. "Would you stop walking? You're giving me a headache!"

"Well, I'm sorry that meeting a new pack of werewolves doesn't scare you! But I can barely deal with the amount of werewolves I know already!"

Derek stood up and walked up to me, grabbing my shoulders so I would stop moving. "I'm sorry but it was your choice to come! They won't hurt you okay? I came from this pack, I was born here and they don't forget. My mom moved us away when I was three" he released my shoulders and went back to his post at the tree. He didn't pull out his phone again. He just sat and listened.

After that I stayed relatively calm until they actually showed up. Derek stood up and ran over to me pushing me behind him. "I thought you said they wouldn't hurt me!"

"Well, they might! Things could have changed and I'm taking a precaution!" I gulped and stepped behind Derek even more. I peered between Derek's arms and saw three people approaching; a tall, muscular man, an old woman and a little girl.

"Derek, you've returned and as an Alpha, I see" the woman had spoken and she slowly walked over to Derek. He towered over her and he bent down to give her a hug, revealing me. "And I see you brought a little friend" she snickered as she hobbled over to me and pulled me in for a hug. The breath was knocked out of me as she squeezed with all her werewolf might.

"This is my uh, friend Stiles Stilinksi. He volunteered to join me on my mission down here." The little girl cowered behind the man as I had done just moments earlier. The man picked up the young girl and marched over to where we stood.

"Hello, my name is Harrison and this is my daughter Kylie. I am the Alpha and I can sense that you are here on business."

"Yes, we are. I'm Derek Hale and I was born here and moved away when I was very young. I am a newly turned Alpha and the Alpha pack is expecting me to join them especially since I have no pack of my own. I was wondering if your pack would be willing in helping me fight the Alpha pack." Derek had grabbed the old woman's hand.

"I will have to deliberate with my trusted Betas but you are willing to stay with us tonight. Follow us!" The little girl sauntered over to me and grabbed my hand as she smiled up at me. I couldn't help but smile back.

She looked about twelve. She was tall and her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. She was extremely serious for her age and walked with a grace that was only

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy! **

**Oreo3469**


	5. And Coming Right Back

It was a couple of hours before Derek emerged again. I sat on a stump a couple feet away trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. It was no use but I think it had more to do with all the supernatural creatures roaming around. Kylie had left an hour to ago to go to sleep so I pulled out my phone but it was dead. I didn't dare asking for a plug, knowing that even if they did they wouldn't share it with a human like me.

"Derek, what did they say?" I jumped up, thanking god for an excuse to stretch my legs. I realized my butt was extremely sore and I wanted nothing more than to be in my own bed.

"We'll talk about it when we get to the car!" He barked which could only mean that he hadn't been successful. We began our trek back down to the car. My feet felt like cement strapped to my thighs and my eyes were starting to droop. I tried to walk as fast as possible without tripping over loose tree stems or rocks hidden in the soil.

"Derek, can we please just set up camp here for the night? I can't go any further!" I heard a growl and he reluctantly stopped.

"We can't stop" he turned around and walked to me, "Get on!" I opened my eyes wide in confusion. "I'm going to carry you down! Now jump on my back!" His eyes were starting to glow red but it was dim. He must've been really tired too. I obeyed his upset command and jumped on, straddling his waist. He almost buckled under the extra weight but he recovered and started running full speed through the forest.

I had never known what it felt like to be a werewolf, to have all that speed and power at your disposal. I felt weak with the only thing to protect myself with being a baseball bat. I held on tighter as he leaped over a boulder with a large drop on the other side. He landed as quickly as he had taken over and ran even faster than before. I had never been this close to Derek. I bet her felt violated, especially since I was slipping and my feet were slipping down to his groin area. Before I knew it, we had the opening in sight. He dropped me without warning right before we got to the exit and walked silently to the car, returning to his brooding sour wolf status.

I got up and brushed myself off. I walked lazily after him and almost collapsed when I got to the car. "So, what happened?"

He pursed his lips and growled. "He's not going to help! He's only letting 4 or 5 Betas volunteer but he's probably just selecting his weakest. I thought this would go better! Now, I have no one to help. I'm going to have to start turning innocents to protect me!" He said the last part as he looked to me. My eyes got wide. "Don't worry Stillinksi! I would never want you in my pack. Now, get some sleep. I got to be up early to get the new recruits and then were heading back to Beacon Hills" he opened the door but didn't get in.

"Wait, I thought you said we were going to be gone a week!"

"That was before you were coming. I was planning on taking my time but they don't like having a human around and you need to get back to school."

I climbed into the backseat of the Camaro and used my jacket as a pillow. I waited for Derek to climb into the front but he never did and I was too tired to go looking for him.

I woke up the next morning with a crick in my neck. My jacket was on the floor and I had somehow jammed my head sideways into the door. I sat up and saw that the sun was well over the horizon and Derek was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone back up to get our werewolves. I got out of the car and stretched before diving back in and starting the car. I had a small breakfast of Twinkies and water and finally plugged in my phone. It started up a few minutes later and I had six missed calls. Five were from Scott and one was from Lydia. I checked Lydia's call first.

"Stiles if you were going to go on a trip with Derek, you should've just told us or at least me" her voice quieted down and she seemed depressed. What did she mean by "at least me"? Did Lydia like me? Of course, I would jump to that conclusion. That's what I had wanted since 3rd grade but it couldn't be true. She was in love with Scott and that's all she is at the moment. I couldn't delve into the topic anymore in my mind because Derek came running down the hill with three other people in tow.

I slowly got out and looked expectantly at the new werewolves. I waited for Derek to introduce us. He just walked past me and started clearing space in the car. I took the liberty to introduce myself. "Hey, I am Stiles Stilinksi and you'll probably be seeing a lot more of me around so it would be great if we got to know each other." I tried to say with as much enthusiasm but I was getting nervous.

The oldest, maybe 26, came forward. He was a little taller than me with a burly black beard. He wasn't very muscular but he looked menacing. "My name is Simon Franz. This is my wife Patricia and our son Payson." The wife was petite yet her face said she meant business. She was short and wore a green sun dress. Payson looked a little younger than me, maybe 14 or 15. He was very tall and gaining muscle. He didn't quite look like either of his parents. He had jet black hair that hung in his face and he was tan, like he had just lied in the sun all summer long. He seemed apprehensive when I went to shake his hand. He probably didn't have many friends.

I smiled and backed slowly away to where Derek was moving stuff around. "You know, were not all going to fit right? It's like humanly impossible!"

"We're not humans, remember?" He smirked, so proud of his little joke.

"HAHA. No but seriously what are we going to do?"

"Only three are going in the car!" He stood up and placed my luggage in the trunk.

"But there are five of us!"

"Actually there are six" he looked up at the hill as a small wolf came bounding down the hill. It reached the bottom, sprinted to me and leaped, knocking me into Derek. I laughed but Derek wasn't amused. The wolf turned back into a human and I noticed it was Kylie, sitting on me with no clothes on. She stood up and Derek handed her a blanket. No one else seemed fazed. "You're going to drive Kylie and Payson back to Beacon Hills and were going to run. Try to get back as soon as possible so that means no stops for snacks, got it?" I pouted and got in the car. Payson and Kylie followed.

"So are we ready to go?" Payson just nodded and turned towards the window and Kylie began asking a million questions about Beacon Hills. This was going to be a long ride.

We arrived at Derek's loft at 11:00. The kids followed me upstairs and I knocked at the door. Derek wasn't there yet but Peter opened the door. "Why, hello there!" He seemed shocked that I had two children with me. "Who's this?"

"Didn't Derek tell you about his recruits?"

"Yea, but when he said he would be bringing back werewolves to join his pack, I thought they would be more scary and bad ass. I wasn't expecting kids to show up to fight an all-powerful Alpha pack!" Kylie stepped behind me but Payson remained standing to my right.

"Relax! He won't hurt you. Derek won't allow it. I won't allow it." Kylie stepped out again and walked past Peter into her new home. Payson followed and Peter stood to the side, mouth opened wide. I smirked and made a small sound that made Peter growl. I rolled my eyes knowing that he wouldn't touch me either. Even though I wasn't a werewolf, I was pretty much part of the pack.

He stormed upstairs and slammed his door. I think I gave the nickname sour wolf to the wrong person. "Where are we going to sleep?" It was Payson who spoke and he was already scowering the entire place for a free outlet to plug in his phone.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I don't live here." Kylie's eyes grew wide and she ran over to me.

"You're not going to leave us here right?" The desperation in her voice made me want to run out, buy her ice cream and a stuffed animal.

"No, I'm not leaving you. I won't be here all the time but I'll pop in every once in a while." She whimpered and lowered her gaze. "And besides, Payson's parents will be here any moment with Derek. There's going to be another woman!" Her ears perked up at that and she beamed back, her golden eyes shining brightly through her messy hair. I l tried to see if Payson had his eyes glowing but they were still green.

Peter returned, taking the stairs two at a time. "Derek just called. He said he's running a little late. He asked if you would show them around town. Maybe get them signed up for school." I nodded, not wanting to lie to get them into our public school system. I wasn't their parent but I've pulled off worst lies so this should be a piece of cake.

**Thank you so much for reading! I'm sorry its taking a while to get to the point but I like adding detail. I think it makes the story more interesting. But review and let me know what ****_you_**** think!**


	6. Apparently We're Cousins

Kylie, Payson and I hopped in my Jeep. It felt good to drive my own car after being cramped in a leather death trap for two days. Kylie started complaining of hunger two minutes into our trip and surprisingly Payson joined her. I pulled into the first drive thru and ordered three chicken tender meals with fries and sodas. I handed each of them their dinner and relaxed as their mouths became preoccupied with fast food.

I drove through the middle of town pointing out buildings such as: Town Hall, library, DMV offices and the road to the hospital. Then I showed the actual important ones like: movie store, ice skating rink and the gas station that always sold candy that was out of season. I took the next left and made my way to school. It was Tuesday and school was still in session so I was prepared to get questioned about my tardiness in school _and_ the reason why I arrived now with two kids in tow.

I pointed things out to Payson and Kylie as we walked towards the main office. I was going to sign up Payson now, then drive Kylie later to the middle school a couple blocks over afterwards. Kylie seemed enthralled to see an actual high school but I couldn't get Payson to look up from his dying phone.

I walked into the office with my back straightened, head held high and two kids cowering behind me. I cleared my throat and the secretary looked up from her computer. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Stiles Stilinski and I am here to get him signed up for high school." I nudged Payson forward causing him to stumble. He glared back.

"Okay, well here are the forms you will need to fill out. We will also need vaccination records and a health physical but you can turn that in on your first day." I slowly took the papers surprised she hadn't worried about my truancy.

"Aren't you surprised that I'm signing up two other people for school when I should be in school?"

"No, a guy named Derek called and said that you would be out a day or two to pick up your cousins. I'm guessing these are them" her voice was filled with excitement and she bounced in her chair. I smiled glad Derek had thought to plan ahead. "Oh, and she's going to attend the middle school down the street right?" Kylie nodded and smiled widely. "Well, we keep all the forms here so just fill this out and bring it down to their main office the day before she plans on going." I grabbed the new packet of papers and headed out the door.

"Can we go to my school so I can see it?" I didn't really have the time but Kylie had a face you couldn't say no to. We just drove by and the rest of the ride was spent listening to her go on and on about the flowers in the front lawn. I guess when you lived in the woods your whole life; it was kind of hard not to notice things you saw every day.

"Have you really never gone to school?" She diverted her eyes, acting embarrassed. "Don't feel bad about it. I was homeschooled in 3rd grade but my mom said she couldn't handle me running around like a mad man." I chuckled.

I missed my mom more than anything. And no offense to my dad but she was the one person in the world who had understood me. My dad did a good enough job raising me after she died but he spent most of his nights working. And I tried not to take it personally but I had always had this feeling like he blamed me. I know that's crazy! It's stupid to think my own parent is ashamed to spend time with me but the way we act together isn't normal. Especially since I had taken the behind the scenes tour of Beacon Hills.

"Stiles, are you okay?" I came back to reality.

"Yea, I'm fine" I sniffled. "My mom died a couple years back of frontemporal dementia and I was there when she died. I used to have panic attacks when I was younger but I haven't had one in two years. It's still depressing, you know?" She nodded on the verge of tears.

"I understand. My mom died when I was four so I don't really remember her but it hurts all the same." Payson stared awkwardly out the window but I knew he was paying attention.

"I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes and the car became silent again. I drove them back to Derek's loft hoping he would be home by now. I didn't want to leave them alone with Peter since I had to go home and get ready for school tomorrow. I followed Kylie running up the stairs while Payson slowly followed me.

Derek opened the door before I had even reached the top step and beckoned us inside. "I thought you were just taking them to get signed up for school!" He seemed anxious and shut the door behind Payson.

"I tried to sign up Payson but he needs vaccination records and an appointment for a physical, same with Kylie. And you have to turn it in the day before they want to start attending. So, you might want to get them doctor's appointments right away" I leaned against the wall closest to the door, hinting that I was on my way out.

"Could you do that" I glared at him, "please?"

"I'm not their babysitter!" I was glad they had been in the corner talking to Payson's parents. Derek growled and I gave him a face that said, really? He intimidated me but I tried not to show it even though he could hear my heart beat quicken when he scared me. "Fine, I'll get Kylie signed up but why don't you have Payson's parents get him a doctor?" He snuck a glance at the Franz's.

"They're going to be a little preoccupied so I need you to take Kylie and Payson under your wing" he walked closer whispering.

"I thought you wanted them here to fight for you." I also leaned closer, mimicking his hushed tones.

"No! I wanted adults but the parents didn't want to be away from their child and the Alpha volunteered his daughter. He said she had something special that would come in handy. Maybe you could figure out what that special thing is?" It was my time to turn to growl and he stepped back in surprise.

"Sorry. Everyone just seems to be using me all of a sudden and I'm kind of sick of it!" I stormed out of his loft. I drove home and wasn't surprised when my dad wasn't home to welcome me back.

I went upstairs and unpacked, disappointed that I had spent time packing a week's worth of clothes when we had only been gone two days. Maybe I would help Derek and babysit for him until they got into school. Then I would kind of have an excuse to avoid Scott and Lydia a few more days. As I finished packing, my phone started ringing. It was Scott. I reluctantly answered.

"Hello?"

"Where have you been? I called you like five times!"

"I was helping Derek with something and before you ask, I'm going to be out for the rest of the week because he still needs my help." There was silence on the other end of the line but I heard Scott's breathing so I knew he was still there.

"Well, at least I can tell you what happened while you were gone!" He didn't even notice the annoyance in my voice. He took my Darth Vader breaths as encouragement to continue his story and dove right in. "There's this new girl named Allison. Lydia befriended her and she's been sitting with us at lunch. I know I have only known her for like two days but it feels like so much more. I really want to ask her out but I don't know if I want to lose Lydia yet." Yet? What did he mean by yet?

"What should I do?" I couldn't think straight. He was thinking about dumping Lydia to go out with her potential friend after two lunch periods. I hung up realizing I would definitely need the rest of the week to get away from Scott and his drama. I thought after he had been turned into a werewolf that he would be more mature, that the weight of this newfound ability would cause the responsibility in him to surface as well.

**Stiles – Derek, I promised you a week so I will watch the kids and get those appointments so they can go to school.**

**Derek – No need, Peter called. Apparently he has pull at the doctor's office down the road. But I still need a babysitter so I guess you're hired!**

I smiled, relieved. I sat at my desk trying to entertain myself on the internet. I watched some YouTube videos and updated a throwback picture to Instagram. I got so bored that I even thought about reading a book but once I read the first line, I got bored of that too.

* * *

The past few days I had spent with Payson and Kylie. I had actually gotten Payson to look away from his phone a few times. Kylie was extra bubbly, trying very hard to contain her excitement for school on Monday.

It was Sunday night and we were all hanging out at Derek's loft. Well, at least the three of us and Peter. Derek had taken the Franz's for some late night training. But I kind of wondered why Peter wasn't with them.

"I want to watch the Notebook! I've never seen it and I've heard it's the best!"

"Where did you hear that? You live in the woods" I teased.

"We're not completely barbaric and we're not always in the woods. That's just where we live but most of the adults have normal jobs. The kids just aren't allowed to go to school because we haven't learned how to control our transformation yet and they don't want to take chances. But every week, the kids would go into town and watch a movie or hang with human friends. I lived for those moments." Payson rolled his eyes.

"What about you Payson? What did you do when you went into town?"

"I met up with my girlfriend" he spat it out.

"Oh, my boys got game!" He growled. "I take it things didn't end well."

"Well, as you can see, I'm here and not there. I had to break it off so it didn't look suspicious."

"Well, you'll get over her quickly enough! The girls at Beacon Hills are smoking, especially ones with strawberry blonde hair, green eyes, and are 5'3." I sighed. I looked around and all three of them were staring at me with eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Keep your junk in your pants" Peter snickered as he jumped on the couch next to me. "But seriously what are we going to watch?" I logged into Netflix and searched through kid friendly titles but couldn't find any that interested me so I went to the Teen section and right away found a movie that all of us agreed on, Star Wars.

Before the movie was even halfway through, Payson and Kylie were both snoring. I gently picked up Kylie and carried her to her makeshift room in the corner. Peter did the same with Payson. Derek had tried to make the place more hospitable but now it just looked like it was a home for the homeless. Curtains hung blocking off small spaces with beds and dressers. Luckily his living area was big and he was able to fit three bedroom sized spaces in one area.

I blinked away my impending sleep and yawned. I waved goodbye to Peter who was already flipping through the channels on the TV. I went home, already dreading school tomorrow.


	7. Makeup Work

I arrived at school early and went to the office to hand in my absence explanations. The secretary looked at me quizzically but I ducked out before she could grab the principal. I took my time walking to my locker and stopped a moment when I forgot my locker combination. I dropped my back pack and grabbed my agenda where I had written the three numbers down.

As I shoved everything back into my bag and got up, I heard a sound. I turned around slowly but no one was there except for two teachers chatting as they walked down the hall. I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair. I was starting to get paranoid. I opened my locker when I heard it again.

It sounded like something being dropped but I couldn't get much else from the short snippets of possible noise. I took a deep breath and went back to my locker trying to make as much noise as possible to drown it out. I didn't hear it after that but it couldn't hurt to be careful. I got my books for my first three classes and closed my locker gently. I walked towards my History class slowly, peering around every corner.

I noticed that other students were arriving at school and I tried to make a beeline to History but was stopped by something that caught my eye. I slowly backed up and looked out a window. Payson sat on a bench talking to two cheerleaders. Either he was lying about his girlfriend or he seemed so pathetic, the cheerleaders felt bad for him. I was going to go with the first one since they sat on either side of him and he said something that made them both laugh. For a freshman, that boy had game. I smirked as I headed towards class.

* * *

I had gotten to History ten minutes early and got all my missed work which luckily was just two worksheets and a lot of reading out of the textbook. In my other classes, I wasn't as lucky. Math had a worksheet from every day, front and back. Intro to Economy and English was a lot of notes that needed to be copied. I was exhausted by lunchtime which I already wasn't looking forward to.

I saw Lydia walk by my locker and she smiled as she came over to me. "Where have you been Stilinski?" I shut my locker and we began walking to lunch.

"I was helping Derek with a little project of his" she squinted her eyes at me and I clenched my books tighter so I wouldn't smile. I was really glad to see Payson lingering outside of the cafeteria with a different girl; this one had bright purple hair and a guitar strapped to her back. I grabbed his arm and dragged him along with us so she would be distracted.

"Who's this?" Lydia asked.

"Hey, I'm Payson" he said as he wiggled out of my grasp and cut me off to shake her hand. "And you must be an angel" he smirked as their handshake lingered. I cleared my throat and yanked him back discreetly. Lydia skipped past us, a blushed tint now covering her cheeks. I could've punched him but knowing that he was ten times stronger than I was probably wouldn't leave me with the advantage.

"What the hell are you doing?" I knew my face was hot with anger but Payson just scoffed.

"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm living the high school life, blending in. You know, exactly what I'm supposed to do!" His eyes flashed yellow and I took a step back in surprise. He was angry.

"Whatever problem you have, stay away from her! Got it?"

"I think so. Now am I joining you or do I have to find a table where the love of your life isn't sitting?" He spun around and walked inside before I could even respond. I regained my posture and followed him into the cafeteria. He had gone straight to my table and was taking a seat next to Lydia. Now, I was fuming!

I tried to act calm and collected but the truth was I was shivering. This wasn't going to work. As soon as school was over I was calling Derek and he was sending back his sad attempt of a pack.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I got two packets to finish in science, a project to do in Astronomy and preparation for a French test tomorrow. I didn't even sit with them at lunch. I couldn't! I felt ashamed and I didn't know why. Maybe it was because what Payson had said was true. I was pining over a girl who would never even consider going out with me while he swooped her off her feet with one line.

I walked to my car with my hood up and got in slowly. Once I was inside, I dialed Derek's number.

"Hello?"

"Derek. I really need to talk to you about Payson. He's…."

"Stiles, whatever you're going to say, can you say it to me in person? We have a bit of a situation here and I need to focus!" He sounded irritated and tired. I looked at my pile of work then out the window where I saw Payson sitting against the school with his headphones plugged in.

"I'll be right there."

When I arrived at Derek's loft, I hadn't expected to find Peter sleeping on the couch and Kylie on a tablet sitting by the door. "Where is everyone?"

Kylie looked up from the device surprised and smiled. She got up quickly and threw the tablet on top of an awakened Peter. The Franz's went out for a bit and Derek is upstairs. I got home ten minutes ago!" I walked past Kylie and ran upstairs.

I stormed into Derek's room and noticed Derek lying on his bed without his shirt. I guessed he was sleeping because his naked abdomen rose and fell at a steady pace. I inched slowly out of the room but stopped when I heard a movement. I turned back around and peered inside. He now sat up with his head in his hands. "Take a picture! It'll last longer!" He sounded genuinely tired so his harsh words lost most of their threat.

"Sorry. I thought you were sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you."

"Well, you did! I was just trying to get some sleep before everyone got back." I stepped into his room again and shut the door behind me so Kylie wouldn't sneak up.

"Well, Kylie's already home. She said she's been home for ten minutes so at least you got some sleep." I tried to make a joke but he glared at me and the bags under his eyes drooped. "So, I thought you said there was a situation here?"

"There is. The Franz's want to leave. They think I'm working them too hard which I guess I am. They don't even have to be here. They're only here to protect me and that doesn't seem fair. I mean, who's protecting them?"

"You are, aren't you?" He looked up.

"I guess. I haven't been doing a good job of looking after them. I let them leave for a while; go on a date or something. But if they leave, all I have is Kylie." He hung his head in defeat as he lazily got off his bed. He walked to his closet and pulled a green V-neck over his muscular body. I let out the breath I had been holding and realized I was super tired too. I walked over to his bed and took a seat on the edge.

"What am I going to do Stiles?" I looked at him confused. Why was he asking me? He should be going to Scott for guidance. I mean he was actually a werewolf. I was just Stiles; a dispensable human that got pushed around for other werewolves delight. I thought back to the real reason I had come but thought better of bringing up Payson when it was already a possibility that him and his family could be leaving soon. Derek sat down beside me and we both stared at his plain white wall.

"Well, I would start training Kylie and maybe get Scott on board as well. And Derek, if I can help in any way, just let me know." He looked at me and flopped backwards on the bed. I sat awkwardly for a few minutes until I heard the peaceful snoring coming from a man that needed sleep. I slinked out quietly and tip toed downstairs. Kylie was sitting in her makeshift room and she stuck her head out as I walked by. "Are we going to hang out tonight?"

I saw Payson listening through his faded beige sheet and walked over to Kylie. "Not tonight. I have a lot of work to make up but as soon as I'm done we'll hang out, okay?" She nodded and lay on her bed. I think I heard sobs as I shut the door behind me.

* * *

I had only finished my English and part of my math the night before. I handed in what I could and my teachers didn't hold it against me. I was really surprised. Teachers were supposed to be cranky and heartless. Well, at least my teachers were supposed to be. They probably saw the bags under my eyes and realized I had work from other teachers to do as well.

I contemplated skipping lunch but knew it would just give Payson more opportunities with Lydia. Plus I had to face Scott eventually. I walked in, surprised to see my lunch table completely full and all staring at me. I stopped and stared back, not really sure what was going on. My breathing became staggered and my knees were buckling. I looked around and noticed other people staring too. I thought I had something on my face or shirt and touched my face lightly, feeling conscious. I gulped incessantly and started looking at everyone at once.

I dropped to my knees and gripped at my neck. No one helped. They just stared and stared and stared. My books toppled out of my hands and I fell over. I gasped for air and felt the edges of my sight go dark.

* * *

Luckily, it was just a dream.


	8. Upstaged

I sat up quickly breathing hard. Sweat covered my forehead and I could feel the breeze from the window I forgot to shut. I glanced at the clock and noticed it was only two in the morning. I had no idea why I was dreaming about people staring at me as I slowly died of suffocation. I shuddered at the thought and jumped up to shut the window.

It took a little force but I managed and it slammed down with a thud. I froze, waiting to hear my dad stir but there were no disturbances from the room across the hall. As I tip toed back to my bed, I heard a light tap come from behind me. I turned around timidly and saw Scott sitting against the fragile glass. I threw the window back up and allowed Scott inside. He hopped down from the sill and shivered from the cool breeze snaking its way inside my room again.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered as I moved towards my door so I could listen for my dad.

"You know your dad's not here right?" He asked in his normal voice with one eyebrow raised. I dropped my shoulders and sighed knowing he was right. If he had heard the window slam, he would've yelled, asking if I was okay. But he didn't so he couldn't be home.

"Don't evade the question! What are you doing here? We have school tomorrow!" I sounded crankier than usual and it probably had something to do with almost dying in my dream. He rubbed his eyes as he dropped into the chair stationed at my desk. I squinted my eyes to see him knowing he didn't even have to have his eyes open to know where I was.

"I need advice and you're going to hate me for saying this but we've been distant lately and I know it's because of this subject so I just want to get it out in the open." I hung onto every word, not sure where he was going with this. "I've been dating Lydia since the beginning of the year and she's great but I've been thinking of breaking up with her for a while, even before Allison came to town. This would've been so much easier if they hadn't become friends because if I dump Lydia, I'm the jerk Allison's not allowed to date. So how do I break up with Lydia and get Allison?"

How pathetic could a guy get? "Why are you asking me? I've never been in a relationship with a girl, let alone dumped one!" He leaned over and flicked on my Star Wars lamp. I could now see the pain in his face and the tears in his eyes. I wanted to rush forward and give him a hug but remembered we were dudes and we didn't show our feelings that way. I awkwardly rocked from my left foot to my right foot and back again until I thought of something worth mentioning. And then it hit me! "How about finding another guy for Lydia? That way she'll have a rebound and she can break up with you! You still might not get to date Allison right away but over time I'm sure something will happen between the two of you!"

I saw Scott's eyes brighten from underneath his grown out hair. "Stiles, you're brilliant! Now, all we have to do is find someone for Lydia to fall for," he leaned on his palms and furrowed his brows. I wanted to mention my own name but thought it would be too obvious. "How about you?" Did the boy have mind reading powers along with super hearing and eyesight?

"What? Me?"

"Yea, you're perfect! You're already friends so it wouldn't be strange to hang out together and I've seen the way you look at her. I noticed it when we were at the school and she tried to invite you to the movies with us and you almost had an asthma attack. I didn't want to say anything in case it made things uncomfortable but I think I knew the entire time, Which makes me sound like a jerk." His voice grew quieter at the end and he adjusted his gaze to look at the floor.

"It makes you sound like the biggest jerk that ever lived but thank you. As long as you're absolutely okay with it, I would be happy to sweep Lydia off her feet!" I swept my arm across my chest as I talked to dramatize the stereotypical Cinderella story. Scott chuckled and it felt like how it did before Scott got a girlfriend and turned into a werewolf. It felt normal Stiles hanging out with normal Scott and having a normal conversation. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Scott left shortly after our conversation about Lydia. I began dozing off when the conversation drifted from Lydia Martin to fantasy football leagues. I was exhausted but it didn't slow me down. I had the okay to make the move on Lydia as long as Payson didn't get in my way! I grabbed my backpack with my completely finished homework and took the stairs two at a time.

I popped a waffle into the toaster, sat on the sink and looked out the window as I waited for the ding. My dad's' squad car pulled in and he sat in the driver's seat, talking on the phone. I almost fell off of the sink when the waffle popped up. I quickly pulled it out, lathered it in syrup and ran out the door. I threw my bag in my car and slowly made my way to my dad. I knocked lightly knowing he would jump easily due to a sleepless night.

"Oh, good morning Stiles" his voice lacked purpose and feeling and I basically watched him pass out in his car.

"Where were you last night?" He turned to look out the front window as the car started talking. It was muffled so I couldn't hear what it was saying but my dad seemed worried.

"I'll be right there!"

"Dad, you shouldn't be driving around with no sleep. Can't someone else handle it?"

"I'm the sheriff so I'm the responsible one. No one else can do my job." I backed away hearing the focus in his voice. I got in the Jeep and blasted Katy Perry's Fireworks, determined not to let anything ruin this day!

* * *

I ate my waffle as I hurried to school. I got out as the bell rang and ran to the front door before a teacher locked me out. Luckily the teacher manning the door was Miss Morrell, my French teacher. She smiled as she held the door open for me and I ran by without a word. I knew I should've said thank you but my mind was too preoccupied to be pleasant at the moment. I walked slowly to my locker already tired of the day ahead.

I turned the lock on my locker many times but it wouldn't budge. My locker was one of the few that hadn't been replaced this year so it often got caught on a book or loose paper inside. I pounded near the lock but it still wouldn't budge. I thought about going to the office to get someone to open it for me but I had already missed enough History. I marched down the hall.

* * *

History was a failure. Mrs. Kalakaski yelled at me for being late and when I tried to explain about my locker malfunctions, she yelled at me for having a bad locker. The periods seemed to move in slow motion but maybe it was because it was only Tuesday. I was both relieved and annoyed when it was time for lunch. Lydia leaned against my locker when I came around the corner to try to get inside again. I paused and recognized her beauty.

Her strawberry blonde hair rained down in ringlets and her green eyes shone brightly against the dull scenery behind her. She wore a lavender skirt with black tights underneath and a black tank top was tucked in. A dark purple purse hung loosely at her side and she wore minimal make up. I liked her better without make up, mostly because whenever she wore it, she covered up her true beauty.

I gulped and slowly made my way over to her before she saw me staring. "Hey Lydia!" She stood up straight and moved over to the locker beside mine. I really hoped it opened this time so it wouldn't be embarrassing.

"Hey. I saw you walk my class this morning halfway through the period. Were you late today?"

"Yea, a little bit. I had a weird conversation with my dad. He came home for five minutes before he sped off to do another sheriff task. I understand that his job is demanding but we haven't talked in a week and he lives across the hall." She looked up pitifully and I averted my gaze. I didn't mean to come off as a whiner but sometimes my ADHD made me sound that way. I fidgeted with my book bag strap as I fidgeted with my locker combo. It still wouldn't open. I was about to walk away when Payson sauntered around the corner and up to us. Lydia smiled as he squeezed between us and hunched over my locker combo. A moment later my locker swung open and he turned around without a word.

I hadn't really hated anyone before, maybe Derek when I first met him but Payson was a whole another story. Derek was annoying only to me but Payson was deliberately getting under my skin. Lydia blushed and ran after him without saying goodbye. I fell to the floor and grabbed my book for Biology. When I had the decision to turn left and go to lunch, I hurriedly turned right and went to library. I tried to study but ended up planning revenge on Payson the Beta.

**Sorry I took so long to update and super sorry if its horrible and moving too slow! I'm having a bit of writers block so if you have any suggestions I'll give you a shoutout if I pick your suggestion to use in my story. Anyways hope you enjoy and leave a review!**

**Love,**

** Oreo3469**


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